CWC Nepal Women's Initiative

Project Overview

The Clean Water Corps is proud to announce our initiative giving female veteran team members and military wives the opportunity to work together and make a global impact. Our women veteran CWC members are partnering with eight military wives on a clean water project in Nepal, where they will provide clean drinking water access to women at the midwives’ clinic Aadharbhut Prasuti Sewa.

Aadharbhut Prasuti Sewa (APS) is Nepali for Basic Maternity Services. Founded by Laxmi Tamang and a group of nurses in 2007, APS provides free health services to women and children, including pregnancy, birthing, postnatal and reproductive health care. Their vision is to improve the health of Nepal’s women and children and significantly reduce mortality.

Each woman joining us has a unique story of perseverance. They each share a sense of duty and are inspired to serve others and make an impact on the global community. We are pleased to introduce our team of veteran women and military wives, and share their inspiring stories.

While our military women may have served in various capacities in the armed forces, they come together in the Clean Water Corps for the sole purpose of helping bring clean drinking water access to lesser advantaged populations across the globe. Our three Regional Directors, all of whom are women who served in Special Operations, two as Cultural Support Team members, are helping to guide our clean water projects to address the most basic need of women and children: water. Empowered as they are, our Clean Water Corps women are eager to work hand-in-hand with the wives of military members who encompass the most intricate support network in the world.

An often overlooked aspect of U.S. military service is the sacrifice made by our military spouses and families. Military families are at the mercy of the military, much like their loved ones in uniform. These women and men leave behind the security and stability of their communities every few years for their spouse’s next duty station, often becoming single parents while their spouses deploy. This position is selfless. And it is honorable. Many military families willingly put their lives on hold in order to support their Soldier, Sailor, Marine, or Airman.

On behalf of us all at Waves For Water, we would like to thank the women who have served our country and the military wives who have served as the backbone of the armed services. We dedicate this project to every woman who has worn a military uniform and to every woman who has eased the burden of military service on a family. To them we are graciously indebted.

Mar 08 - 2018Lindsy Conley

Stop and think for a moment.....Have YOU truly found your passion in life? I am talking about, something that you have wanted to do since you were a child? Something that you would put your life on ... read more

Stop and think for a moment.....Have YOU truly found your passion in life? I am talking about, something that you have wanted to do since you were a child? Something that you would put your life on hold for, and would sacrifice time, holidays and memories for? I have never known a passion so deep until I met my husband Matt (Bubs).

Bubs has wanted to fly in the military since he was a child….he has known this since then! I cannot imagine this, I am jealous of this, and yet so proud that my heart wants to explode with pride because of this.

Now, if you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be married to a man in the military, I wouldn’t have believed you (I do not come from a military family). If you would have told me that I would one day wait for a man while he is deployed for a year after we’d been dating only 6 months, I would have laughed at you. And lastly if you would have told me that my husband had the choice to be deployed for a year a second time, and that I was the one who actually encouraged him to go, I would most certainly call you a liar. It’s ironic that as a wife of a man in the military that a wife’s love and support is what allows him to know that he can be successful in another deployment. But if supporting my husband while he fights for our freedom is my legacy then so be it!

So, what has loving a man with such a passion to help people taught me?

I have learned that the “call to be dutiful” is palpable. And that a military wife is “serving” our country right alongside her husband even if they are thousands of miles away from the battlefield. The military has shown me that some real brotherhoods have nothing to do with blood relatives. It has shown me how waiting for a kiss for a year is worth it because it will be the best kiss in history. It has taught me that I am strong by myself but even stronger as I support my husband in his endeavors. It has taught me that true love does wait, and will wait…. Every. Single. Time.

It has taught me how to smile and look like I wasn’t up all night crying. It has taught me what TRUE PRIDE looks and feel like. It has taught me that the distance between two hearts is NO obstacle. It has taught me how to be alone, and what it takes to protect myself when I am. It has taught me what real loneliness feels like and that this feeling makes the moments we are

together so much more beautiful. It has taught me how to express my love in many different ways. And lastly, it has taught me the beauty in supporting someone that has found their true passion, no matter how difficult it may be on me.

I am grateful for the chance to live the sometimes chaotic life I have with my husband, even if others themselves would not chose it….I would!

I am so grateful for this opportunity to make a difference with Waves for Water. Thank you for including me in this monumental and impactful organization.

Mar 07 - 2018Tiffany McQueen

The chance to join other military spouses on a humanitarian mission to Nepal is an opportunity I am incredibly excited about. Not only is it a chance for me to have a positive impact on the lives o... read more

The chance to join other military spouses on a humanitarian mission to Nepal is an opportunity I am incredibly excited about. Not only is it a chance for me to have a positive impact on the lives of others across the world, but it is also a chance for me to learn more about myself. I have always had passions and projects of my own that have driven me and given me a chance to explore my own creative side. I love to sew, cook and create. I feel in so many ways I was lucky to be an Army wife and have nights in a quiet house when the kids are asleep and my husband is deployed or away and I can sit at my sewing machine and create something with no distractions. I realize that often the main role of a military spouse is one of sacrifice. I have held my family together while supporting my husband and children, both while he was home and away, be it for training or deployment. Trying to maintain a normal life in his absence has always been very challenging; trying to maintain my identity was nearly impossible. It is difficult to know who you are when your entire life revolves around holding things together in the absence of a loved-one. There were so many times he would leave and I could enjoy my independent time and reflect on my own self, but it is difficult to grow as an individual when you’ve built your life and marriage on growing as a unit. Recently, my husband left the Army in order to pursue his latest role with Waves For Water. In this new life I have found myself struggling even more to understand who I am and who I want to be. In my experience the military spouse is the cornerstone of their family. It falls on us to set the example and be strong through adversity for our children. I found that strength in the bonds I formed with my fellow spouses. We supported each other, through every birthday, every deployment, every hardship and every loss. It was a community and role that defined who i was, and has shaped who I am. In our new life I have struggled to find that new community and sense of purpose. This project is not only an opportunity for me to reconnect with other spouses, but to take our experiences and strengths to the other side of our world and have an impact on another community of women. This is an opportunity to continue to define who I am in my new role outside that of a military spouse. I cannot wait to share this adventure with fellow wives who have sacrificed so much in support of our husbands. My life as a military wife has been nothing short of an adventure. Now, I am excited to have an adventure all my own!

Current location: Boise, Idaho

From: Sun Valley, Idaho

Occupation: Mother and wife

IG: @thewilderlove

FB: tiffany.h.mcqueen

Mar 07 - 2018Theresa Brabner

As a Military spouse, I have stayed home with our children while my husband has traveled and seen the world. He has endured many experiences that have changed him immensely. Traveling and seeing dif... read more

As a Military spouse, I have stayed home with our children while my husband has traveled and seen the world. He has endured many experiences that have changed him immensely. Traveling and seeing different countries has changed how he views the world, as well as our place in it. Over the last 12 years as an Army spouse, I have had the chance to live in many different places within the United States, but I have not yet had the opportunity to travel to other countries. I would love to be able to see the world as he sees it now! It will help us grow closer in our marriage because I will understand more about what he experiences, just as he will experience stay-at-home parenting while I am away. I am very excited to work with the Clean Water Corps. My husband worked with Waves For Water while he was serving in Afghanistan and he told me about the women and children who had never known what it was like to drink water that does not make them sick. It would be such an honor to be able to help people and see beautiful places at the same time. I am grateful and excited about this opportunity!

Current location: Fort Sill, Ok

From: Pullman, WA

Occupation: Marketing Assistant for Family & MWR Fort Sill

Motto: Don’t just exist, live.

Mar 07 - 2018Michelle Schriefer

According to the military, as an Army wife I am considered a "dependent". This term is used in regards to pay, benefits, and privileges that one holds as a military spouse. While my husband's career... read more

According to the military, as an Army wife I am considered a "dependent". This term is used in regards to pay, benefits, and privileges that one holds as a military spouse. While my husband's career certainly provides our family's main source of income, health care and various other benefits, it has also proven to me just how independent I can be! Ten years ago, being an Army wife was nowhere on my radar… I could have never imagined living several states away from my tight-knit family. I certainly would not have thought that I was strong enough to say goodbye to my husband before a deployment and fight the almost constant worry that he wasn't going to come home, all while juggling my own career, a two year old, and being in the last half of a pregnancy! I never knew how strong and resilient I could be until I was forced to face these experiences head on; being an Army wife has proven to me that I can get through just about anything thrown my way.

During my almost 7 years as a military spouse, my husband and I have seen our share of highs and lows. I now know that there are no words that could begin to describe the gut-wrenching feeling of saying goodbye before a deployment, but there are also no words to describe the elation surrounding a long-awaited homecoming either! Watching your kids say goodbye to friends that they likely won't see again is heartbreaking, but seeing their excitement when they get to meet new friends, go to a new school and explore a new city (almost) makes up for it! The frequent moves and having to leave friends that you finally just made can be so frustrating, but the pride, admiration and love I have for my husband and his call to service makes up for it over and over again.

My husband Kyle is almost always the one that does the leaving in our family. Whether he is training or deploying, the ultimate end goal of helping to make the world a better and safer place to live always stays the same. Another thing that stays the same is my day to day life (for the most part), which consists of chasing and cleaning up after our two little ones and trying to stay sane in the process! There are days when my purpose, for now, seems so small and insignificant when compared to my husband's. This opportunity through Waves for Water would allow me to be the one to help make a difference this time. Traveling to Nepal to help provide the means for clean water to people in need would be extremely rewarding, and being able to participate in this project with other military wives would be an incredible reminder that being a military spouse is only a piece of who we are as individuals and is not as defining as it can sometimes feel.

Mar 07 - 2018Rachel Washburn

I consider myself immeasurably fortunate to have the opportunity to pursue a value-driven, passionate, and adventurous life. While in college, my love for dance and performing lead me to audition for ... read more

I consider myself immeasurably fortunate to have the opportunity to pursue a value-driven, passionate, and adventurous life. While in college, my love for dance and performing lead me to audition for and ultimately become an NFL Cheerleader. In school, I spent my weekends, and sometimes Mondays, performing for 70,000 fans as a Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader. This experience was refining and formative; it was my first encounter working with like-minded, ambitious women. I remain blown away by the intellect and drive of the women I cheered beside. Upon graduation, I commissioned as an officer in the United States Army. Within one year I would be in Afghanistan; deployed under a pilot program (Cultural Support Teams) designed to attach women to Special Operations units in the most remote, austere, and dangerous regions of Afghanistan. On this deployment, my partner and I were attached to a 12-man Special forces team embedded in a small village in southern Afghanistan. We lived without modern amenities, no plumbing, no showers, no infrastructure… in fact, we served as impromptu midwives and delivered a baby when a snowstorm kept the mother from traveling to the nearest city. The women I served alongside are my family. They are the most impressive women I have ever met, and I am lucky enough to continue to serve alongside some as a Clean Water Corps member. The women I call teammates, friends, and family have shaped my life choices and outlook. The call to serve doesn’t end when you take off your uniform and Waves For Water has given me the opportunity to remain purpose driven. I am grateful to be part of an organization whose mission, both internally and externally, is designed to empower and engage women in making their homes, communities, and world a better and healthier place.

Mar 07 - 2018Lindsey Carlson

I am Lindsey Carlson - a proud mother, devoted teacher, road trip enthusiast, nature lover, and avid Netflix viewer. Through my time as a military spouse, I experienced incredible personal growth.... read more

I am Lindsey Carlson - a proud mother, devoted teacher, road trip enthusiast, nature lover, and avid Netflix viewer. Through my time as a military spouse, I experienced incredible personal growth. Often forced outside of my comfort zones, I conquered challenges I never would have faced. In addition to normal homemaker roles of chef, maid, and caregiver, I was also forced into the roles of plumber, gardener, tax accountant, computer repair specialist, grief counselor, social coordinator, soccer coach, property manager, child care provider, fundraiser, and handyman. All these roles were unpaid and often under appreciated, but allowed me to discover and reinvent myself with every obstacle. I gained confidence and learned new skills, but the biggest reward was connecting with amazing, strong women along the way. We understood and supported each other with no judgement. I was humbled to help my fellow military spouses when able and their strength held me afloat at times of personal struggle. Military spouses face many hardships, but the value of community and the strength of many are priceless.

Mar 07 - 2018Kristen Lentz

My name is Kristen and I have been a military spouse for twelve years. In that time I have seen my fair share of pain, loneliness and love that is so deep it is almost unfathomable. I’ve also lear... read more

My name is Kristen and I have been a military spouse for twelve years. In that time I have seen my fair share of pain, loneliness and love that is so deep it is almost unfathomable. I’ve also learned that being the “other half” of a barrel chested freedom fighter can leave a pretty big hole to fill. For the longest time, I was unsure of what to do with myself when my husband was away and focused solely on supporting him and his career. Thankfully with the help of some incredible military spouse friends I was able to discover “me” and found my own wishes and desires just brimming under the surface. In the last few years I have rekindled my love of travel, created a blog that generates income while I work from home and have been able to closely work with a company whose sole goal is to provide mobile income to military spouses. I have laughed, learned, hustled and discovered more in the past few years than I could have hoped for. I have realized how important it is that we, as wives and mothers, learn to put our own interests at the forefront at times. I am so proud that my children can see me seamlessly hold down the homefront, make sure they get to each and every hockey and lacrosse game while also owning my own business. It overjoys me that my daughters can see me working so hard to ensure that other military wives can find mobile income with a company whose tagline is “women empowering women.” My heart is full when my husband proudly shares my accomplishments when he introduces me. And I, too, am proud.

It is with this full heart that I am excited beyond measure at the opportunity to bring the gift of clean water to wives and mothers across the globe. Knowing the life changing benefits that this will bring to other families, it would be impossible to not want to be involved. My husband has spent the past twelve years dedicated to his career field’s motto of “These things we do that others may live.” It would be my pleasure to deliver on that promise as well.

Current location: Pope AAF, North Carolina

Occupation: President of Domestic Operations (aka: homemaker) and blogger

Motto: “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” -Mae West

IG: @downhomeinspiration

Mar 07 - 2018Janiece L. Marquez

Of my years working in international development, I have found purpose in the possibility that my work may bestow positive change on the world’s underserved populations. My narrative began with my e... read more

Of my years working in international development, I have found purpose in the possibility that my work may bestow positive change on the world’s underserved populations. My narrative began with my enlistment in the military, continued as a cultural intermediary for special operations forces in Afghanistan, and has brought me to where I am now, working in international development and providing clean drinking water to marginalized populations.

In 2010, during my fifth year in the US Army and as a recent graduate of the Defense Language Institute’s Pashto program, I was selected to join a contemporary unit of women who were trained to operate alongside special operations units in Afghanistan. We were called Cultural Support Teams (just like Rachel Washburn). Our mission was to engage with Afghan women in an effort to understand their perspectives and to create a more permissive environment for U.S. and partner forces. I was fortunate to be partnered with a veterinarian and, together, she and I entered homes in Kunar, Afghanistan, where we would listen to stories of poverty, death, and sexual exploitation.

Upon my honorable discharge from the Army in September 2012, I founded a stability operations company called Stable Outcomes. My goal was to improve the economic and social conditions of at-risk communities in the developing world. Stable Outcomes’ inaugural project was working alongside U.S. and Colombian forces to design a program training women in the Colombian military to engage with Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) families. Then, an opportunity arose to work in Liberia to help reduce the spread of the Ebola virus disease. After minimal deliberation, I shifted focus toward West Africa.

In Liberia, my mission was to assist in the construction of Ebola Treatment Units, to design culture-specific strategies to minimize Ebola’s transmission, and to deliver water to remote regions of the country. In addition, I launched a capacity building program to equip my local staff with the skills necessary to ensure that the company became self-sustaining and then profitable after my departure. My culminating project in Liberia was the construction of a sustainable bioenergy plant for a village that had lost access to electricity during the First Liberian Civil War. Today, over 285 families in Kwendin village have electricity and 20 street lights illuminate the roads within the village.

I believe that pursuit of personal interests allows us to become well-rounded. Last year, for instance, I climbed three volcanoes. For recreation, I dance salsa, run, read, and travel.

Water is a critical element in setting conditions for prosperity. The Clean Water Corp’s mission is to provide clean drinking water access to the world’s population. My personal mission is to see this through. Bringing water to impoverished populations through a network of Nepalese women alongside our nation’s beloved military spouses is why I do the work that I do.

Mar 07 - 2018Erin Moffitt

Hi! I’m Erin Moffitt. I’m a mother, daughter, student, Veteran, but above all else, I’m a person who’s passionate about living a life in the service of others. I left the U.S. Army after ten ... read more

Hi! I’m Erin Moffitt. I’m a mother, daughter, student, Veteran, but above all else, I’m a person who’s passionate about living a life in the service of others. I left the U.S. Army after ten years to pursue a Master of Public Policy at Duke University with a focus on foreign policy and national security. It’s because of this that I am so incredibly honored to be apart of Waves for Water’s Nepal Women’s Initiative. I believe in the power of empowering women!

I love that W4W is committed to supporting women, both in enabling their mission of providing clean drinking water, but also in helping women come together to “do what they love and help others along the way.”

Current location: Southern Pines, NC

Hometown: Carlisle, PA

Occupation: Master of Public Policy Candidate, Duke University

Motto: “I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center.” -Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Mar 07 - 2018Erin James

The average person in their daily life probably does not often think about the military wife; that is until the newest heartwarming homecoming video surfaces on Facebook. Perhaps more typically, we ... read more

The average person in their daily life probably does not often think about the military wife; that is until the newest heartwarming homecoming video surfaces on Facebook. Perhaps more typically, we are thought of when tragedy strikes, and then it is with words of sympathy or even pity. What very few think of when hearing the words ‘military wife’ is strength. I have been a military wife for 5 years; years that have been measured by deployments and training cycles. Throughout those years my understanding of strength has dramatically changed. Before I entered my life within the military world, I defined strength as the ability to overcome difficult times without having to fall back on my support system. This definition could not have been more wrong. Recognizing the importance of a support system and being surrounded by other military wives has shown me the true meaning of strength.

In these 5 years I have had the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing women. I have met lawyers, teachers, nurses, homemakers and entrepreneurs. However, it is not only their chosen career paths that make them so incredible. Each has shown a level of strength and independence that is unmatched. It was not until one of my weakest moments that I realized that the strength and independence that each woman possessed was not from being able to do it all on her own. It ultimately stemmed from the unwavering support system that uniquely existed within the military wife community. It was truly an amazing thing to have even the newest of friends offer genuine support.

Our way of life is fairly unconventional to an outsider; our husbands often miss more milestones then they make. They miss holidays, anniversaries, first steps, first words and even sometimes the birth of their children. When our soldiers are not able to be there for unforgettable moments, there is always an army of military wives there to help take their place.

As each year passes I learn more and more about the caliber of strength it takes to be a military wife. It is not always easy, it is usually not glamorous, and it is often challenging. Each new friendship within the military wife community has shown me the importance of the unwavering strength that our support system provides. Military wives have an unbreakable bond and an understanding that we all are in it together.

The opportunity to lend our military wife support system to communities in Nepal by bringing clean water would be a once in a lifetime experience. Waterborne illness as a constant worry is often unfathomable to many of us in the US. Unfortunately, it is very much a reality to many families in our world and bringing clean water filtration systems to these communities is monumentally important. This will allow many citizens of Nepal to focus their strength and energy into bettering their community. I am so excited for the chance to see how others persevere through this enormous obstacle in their lives.

Current city: Spring Lake, North Carolina

Hometown: Sun Valley, Idaho

Occupation: Homemaker, Mom

Motto: Live every moment, laugh everyday, love beyond words.

Mar 07 - 2018Erica Robinson

When I became a military spouse, part of me then belonged to the military and I had to be willing to let that part of myself go. A military wife does not know which day it will be when her husband w... read more

When I became a military spouse, part of me then belonged to the military and I had to be willing to let that part of myself go. A military wife does not know which day it will be when her husband walks through the front door and states that he is on deployment orders, but that day must be anticipated, as there is nothing that can be done to control it. When service members deploy, seconds feel like hours and families at home must learn to live with the constant feeling of unease. We never let our phones out of our sight, our sleep patterns are often interrupted because of the time difference, but we do not dare risk missing even a 10-second phone call or one-line email where our husbands are taking what little time they have to let us know that they are ok. There have been days where I rushed home because I had seen a government vehicle near my neighborhood and feared that they had come to deliver the news that all military wives dread. We unknowingly give so much of ourselves to the military that we do not have much time to think about doing selfless work for others or following our own dreams. Waves for Water is offering an opportunity to help others who are in need and provide something to someone who would never have had the means otherwise. Waves For Water is giving military spouses the chance to make a difference. My husband has the chance to make a difference every day when he leaves for work, and I am excited to do the same.

Current location: Raleigh, NC

Occupation: Mother and wife

IG: @birthcontrolfail

Mar 07 - 2018Crystal Plunkett

Hola! I’m Crystal Plunkett, a wanderlusting, zen seeking, adrenaline junkie, who just happens to be in the United States military. I came in at 17 years old, straight out of high school from Orlando... read more

Hola! I’m Crystal Plunkett, a wanderlusting, zen seeking, adrenaline junkie, who just happens to be in the United States military. I came in at 17 years old, straight out of high school from Orlando, FL, and since then I’ve served in 11 countries across the globe, learned how to read and write in Arabic, how to properly jump out of a perfectly good aircraft, and how to treat a multi-system trauma patient in the most austere environments. As a young girl, I never could have dreamed that I’d become one of the first female Special Operations Combat Medics, an honor that maybe less than 40 women in history can claim. I’m a strong believer that empowered women empower women and I’m thrilled to be partnered up with Waves for Waters in their Nepal Women’s Initiative. While it’s been an extreme honor serving my country, I’m ready to start the next chapter of my life to focus on my passions- travel and medicine. I’ve always had a relentless fire in my soul to be of service to others while exploring as much of this world as possible. I feel like W4W’s slogan of “Do what you love and help others along the way” sums up my life outlook perfectly. I look forward to taking the skills and experience from my military life into my civilian life and am beyond grateful to be a part of the Clean Water Corps.